Dust to Dust: The Tales of Chen
by Beetle Merchant
Summary: This series of chapters tell the story of two brothers, Chen and Weifeng across the years. This brothers were borned and raised in Ba Sing Se by their mother Di, an airbender. The dad, Bao, went missing short after they were born. The story develops after Korra's death and during the new avatar era, along with some new questions about the bending and spiritual world.


Prologue

Two brothers run above the roofs of very poor houses. Their names are Weifeng and Chen, twin brothers but not equal. Weifeng is an earthbender, Chen an airbender. This is the once-called outer ring of Ba Sing Se, the great capital of the Earth Kingdom and the biggest city in the world.

Chen jumps from one house to the other, rotating in the air, almost flying; agile as only the wind can be. Weifeng stops before falling into the passing merchants, steps back and jumps. Before falling he creates several pillars which he steps on to follow his brother. Action continues as Weifeng throws stones at Chen from a pouch in his belt. Chen easily turns and dodges them, finally he takes the last one into his hands and throws it back to Weifeng, hitting him in one arm.

An open comes right in front of them and Chen jumps right into the traffic, avoiding cars to get to the other side of the road. Weifeng doesn't hesitate and takes two pieces from a stone house, then uses them as paths for his feet, like a disappearing bridge. He is excited by what he is doing, until his brother knocks him down with a single air-punch. Weifeng falls from above the passing cars, unable to bend the pieces back under himself.

Just before hitting the ground he is lifted back up by a current Chen created, but he is on the road now, between cars that want to get to the upper ring. Chen dodges, one, two, three cars. Weifeng watches from above, as he starts to come down again, where he meets his brother on the ground. An even bigger truck comes, it´s too close for Chen to bend them out of there. Weifeng, suddenly confident creates a wall in front of them into which the truck crashes. The impact breaks the wall and sends its pieces back to the brothers, where Chen has created an air-sphere that deviates the rocks.

Other cars stop to see if everything is ok, the brothers are terrified to even look at the accident. They both jump out of the road and into the train tracks, where Weifeng uses his bending to get both out of the situation. As the boys escape sirens become distant, they are now heading to the wall that separates Ba Sing Se from the rest of the world.

The brothers get down from the tracks and into a very quiet neighborhood. Right below the arches is a little two-stories house. This is the house of the Sha family. With their heads down they enter, as their mom wipes beads of sweat from her forehead. She looks as if she´s been in the kitchen for ages. In front of her, enormous pots rest with different and delicious traditional earth dishes.

"I don´t want you kids to get in trouble ok?" says the voice coming from the kitchen. Chen and Weifeng look at each other, it's impossible for her to know what has happened. "Tomorrow's your birthday and all the family is coming, so please help me clean." This words change the semblance on their faces, they even jump in excitement. "Ready bro?" says Chen, "Ready", answers Weifeng.

They both start moving their hands as if dancing. The timing is precise, like a clockwork. They keep moving around in circles and all of the furniture starts to move; not that there's much to be moved. Dust flies from the floor to the ceiling, it comes out of everywhere and into the circle the brothers have created. Chen makes a different move and gets a bag that was laying on the floor. In a single punch, the brothers put all the dust in the bag, everything looks great.

Out of the kitchen comes Di Sha, mother of Chen and Weifeng, she carries to plates with ice-cream. "Thanks boys, now enjoy". Although a smile rests on her lips, Di is tired, she stretches herself and a big sigh comes out of her. She goes sit in the living room, where she takes out her shoes and turns on the TV. There, in low quality black and white we see the image of Korra, this is the statue located in the park with her name in Republic City.

"Today thousands have come to honor the passing of one of the greatest avatars of all time. Korra is best known for opening the portals, which make life as we know it today. Candles will be lit here in the Korra National Park tonight to remember her death sixteen years ago. Now we will interview some of the people that have come to honor Korra..."

Di continues to watch Korra's tribute as Chen and Weifeng go upstairs after finishing their ice-creams. They get out of the window in their room, watching carefully not to fall into the street. The sun is setting above the wall, shadows cover most of this part of the city. The moon rises high in the sky as the brothers sit looking at the now appearing stars, quiet in the hot night.

"I've got you something", says Chen, without taking his sight from the sky. He searches in his belt and takes a big black stone, weird looking. His brother turns and takes the stone in his hands, there's something special about this black stone. "It's a meteorite, only some earthbenders can...well, bend it. Once you do, it can give you information on other earthbenders. At least that's what the guy said". "How do you know I will be able to bend it? I'm not that great...". Chen looks at his brother, a smirk on his face "Yes you are, you are my brother after all." Weifeng looks at the stone in his hands, "Bigger brother, don't forget". Chen laughs "Just for a minute, don't act all superior now". Weifeng hits Chen in the arm, and Chen hits him back.

Later that night Weifeng can't sleep. The curtain dances with the late night wind, finally a breeze reaches him. A comfort to the two month long summer. Rolling the stone between his fingers he keeps thinking, without moving. By his side, Chen moves constantly, as he does every night. Weifenf sits in by the edge of his bed, sweat rune through his chest. With the stone pressed between his hands, he closes his eyes and breathes heavily.

A much bigger breeze enters the room and makes him open his eyes. The stone is now curved, it took the shape of his closed hands. Weifeng notices it has a certain light blue glow, almost none. He also hears a high pitch, it goes to a very specific rhythm. He pulls the now-curved stone closer to him, the rhythm is his heartbeat. In a moment he falls back asleep, Weifeng won't remember this night until a couple of years in the future, when he and Chen meet again for the first time in years.


End file.
